Terms and Conditions

Customer Service
Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm the quickest way to contact us is via the telephone on 0845 226 8026. (see next paragraph). You will often be able to contact us outside normal working hours and there is also an answerphone out of hours.
You can also email us via the 'contact us' link - email is monitored evenings and weekends. If you prefer to write, our postal address is listed on the "About Us" page

Our 0845 Telephone Number
We use an 0845 number because we it gives us the flexibility to change, move, or upgrade our telephone system. 0845 numbers used to be called "local call rate" numbers because BT residential customers on standard tariff pay the rate for a local call. However nowadays there are many different providers and tariffs, and calls made using other service providers or mobiles may cost more. 0845 numbers are now called "special rate" numbers. All we can say about your call charges is that on landlines BT customers pay up to 5p per minute, but for other service providers calls charged are charge at special services basic rate. Plants4Presents do not receive any call charges. If you don't want to use the 0845 number, or you are calling from abroad, then at present our underlying number is 01825 721162 - this may change in the future.

Prices
Prices vary all the time according to the stock available. The price you pay is the advertised price at time of order. The greeting card and the planter (pail or basket) are included in the gift price unless otherwise shown. All prices include VAT. Prices on the home page normally exclude Delivery. Delivery charges vary according to your choices, but are clearly stated on the Order Form. The total price shown on the right hand side of the order form is the price that you will pay when your credit card is authorised. The price breakdown is shown on the email order confirmation which will be sent when the payment has been taken.

Substitution
We advertise only what is available. However when we come to select your present on despatch day we may find that the plant you have chosen is not in peak condition. This is unlikely, but if it does happen we reserve the right to substitute another plant of equal value or greater value that is in better condition. We do this very rarely, and we always attempt to contact you by phone and email to see whether you would rather wait for new plants to come in or if and what you would prefer as a substitute. If we cannot reach you in time, we will take a decision whether to make a substitution in order to meet your delivery date. If we do substitute without your permission then you do of course have a right to cancel the order for a complete refund and arrange for the plant to be collected at our expense. Just inform us by email or phone within 7 days of the substitution being received. Please take care of the plant before it is collected, and return it in its original packing.

Order Confirmation
An email order confirmation is generated automatically when your order is placed - which is why we ask you for your email address on the order form. This is a very important document as it contains all the details of your order, including terms and conditions. It is the only written copy of your order, and the only receipt we supply
Please check the order confirmation carefully, particularily the delivery date and address, the card message, and the payment taken. If you need any corrections or additions we are happy to make these for you as long as your email or telephone call reaches us in time.

Cancellation
If you change your mind after placing your order then please phone us on our customer service line and we will cancel your order and refund your payment in full provided your present has not yet been despatched.
If you change your mind after the plant has been despatched then you may have a right to cancel under the Distance Selling Regulations (see below).

What are my rights under the Distance Selling Regulations?
The Regulations do not apply to flowers and plant gifts. They do apply to citrus food, pails and planters, books, and all non-perishable items. Under the Distance Selling Regulations, if you are contracting with us as a consumer, you have the right to return products purchased online or by telephone up to 7 working days after delivery, starting the day after you receive the order. You have the right to a refund for the returned products (excluding delivery charge). You must take reasonable care of the goods whilst in your possession and they must be returned to us promptly at your cost. You must inform us of the cancellation of the contract - please send us an email or give us a call or send us a letter. This is not intended to be a full statement of all your rights under the Distance Selling Regulations. Full details of your rights under the Distance Selling Regulations are available from your Local Citizens’ Advice Bureau or your Local Authority’s Trading Standards Office. Where the Regulations apply full details of how to exercise your rights under the Regulations are set out in the despatch notification email.

Our Guarantee
We check all plants carefully by hand before despatch and take all complaints extremely seriously. If you are in any way disappointed with the plants received, please telephone or email within 7 days of receipt. If we can establish that the goods were substandard or damaged in transit we will offer to send a replacement free of charge. In the unlikely event that your plant appears to be suffering on arrival or that it detoriates within a few days of arrival please do contact us immediately. If our customer care team are unable to assist you in returning your plant to good health within a month we will offer a replacement free of charge. In the majority of cases a change of situation or watering regime will save an ailing plant.
Unfortunately as plants are living things they can arrive healthy but fail because of some factor in their new environment or care regime. If you fail to inform us of a problem within 4 weeks of receipt then we have to assume that the plant must have arrived in good health. In such cases you will not normally be eligible for a free replacement, however our customer service team are always on hand to offer advice and to answers questions on the ongoing care of any of our plants.

Delivery Dates
When you place your order you choose your delivery date from the available dates on the calendar provided. This is shown on your order confirmation. Over 99% of deliveries arrive on the delivery date. For courier deliveries or Special Delivery we will normally refund the cost of next day delivery in the (unlikely) event of the delivery being late.  Please contact us by phone or email to request this delivery refund.  This guarantee does NOT apply to the circumstances listed in the next paragraph.

Circumstances outside our control
There are a number of situations where despite our very best efforts, a delivery is late for reasons outside our control. In these exceptional cases we cannot accept liability, and cannot offer a refund of the delivery charge. The first is if the address was incorrect (see royal mail web site at royalmail.com to check your addresses) or a signature was requested and no-one was in, or if a signature was not requested but there was no one in and no safe place to leave the box.
The second exception is if you choose Royal Mail 1st Class Post as the delivery option. We cannot 100% guarantee a delivery date for first class post, although over 90% of first class packets are received on the day expected. The third case is where there is some calamity outside our control - what used to be called an "Act of God" and is now often called "Force Majeure". This covers snow, ice, flood,war, terrorism, plane crash, strike, embargo, etc. It applies to the kind of widespread disruption to the road network caused by snow in the winters of 2009 and 2010.
Be assured that we will still do our very best to deliver on time, even if these exceptional circumstances apply.

Deliveries at work
If the present is delivered to a work address it is quite usual for someone in reception or in a mailroom to sign for the box. In such cases we cannot be responsible for the transfer of the box from the point of receipt to the addressee - our service is complete when the box is received and signed for.

Unattended Deliveries
If you choose the 'can be left' service (ie courier delivery with no signed receipt) then the driver will leave the box where instructed and report back on his delivery sheet where it was left. If possible leave specific instructions in the delivery instructions box on the order form. Remember that the box could be outside in severe weather conditions, so choose a sheltered spot. Please be assured that our drivers do tend to use their common sense and leave boxes out of sight from busy throughfares. However please do be aware that if you have authorised the box to be 'left safe' we cannot be responsible for what happens to the box after it leaves the driver's care - our service is complete when the box is left where instructed.

The Law
Nothing explained above takes away your statutory rights as a consumer.